Part Three

The next morning, things didn't go as they would've wanted it. Though, they kind of expected it that way too.

"What in heaven's name is she doing here?!" Trunks about exploded in a rage, slamming his fists on the dinning table as he saw Eighteen come limping down the steps. Quara and Bulma just stared, a long moment of silence following.

"We invited her here," Bulma said quickly with a cough. The whole house shook as Trunks shouted in exclamation.

"Mother how could you do such a thing?! After all she's done to us!"

"What was then was then. There's no reason to blow a hissy fit now Trunks. If she really wants to repent we have to give her a chance or else we wouldn't be...human."

"I don't care! She doesn't even deserve to be alive!"

"Trunks you either sit down and finish your breakfast or you can come back when you've calmed down," Bulma stated in a stricken tone.

Trunks remained tight and said nothing. But as his knuckles cracked in the pressure they were in, he turned away, grabbing his jacket on the way out. He couldn't disobey his mother, and it might have been a good thing, because he would've destroyed her the minute he set eyes on her.

Eighteen, on the other hand, went slowly to sit in another chair. She just sat there for a few minutes, wondering what to do, what to say. It was as if her mind had been drawn a blank, that she didn't know how to act in front of normal people. Her old self would have said, "Screw them, I'll act the way I want!" but for right now she wasn't quite sure. She really didn't want to get on the bad side of these people than she already was.

Finally, a conversation was started for her. It wasn't exactly the way she would've wanted it, but just saying something was better than nothing.

"So...Eighteen, do you eat?" Bulma asked.

"No, I don't eat, but um, thank you anyway."

There was a moment of hesitation, finding it surprising to both Quara and Bulma that she said the phrase "Thank you". Quara stuffed down another bite with her wondrous mind, thinking of the right way to put it. Finally she smiled, taking on large gulp to finish that serving.

"You don't eat? How come?" she asked.

"Because...I'm an Android."

"Oh, yeah, almost forgot about that!" That was shocking to hear, but Eighteen had no way to ask if that was true when Quara continued. "How come you can't eat, though?"

"Because I don't need to," she answered simply.

As if to change the subject, she got up, turning with a smile to Bulma. "Aunt Bulma, I've finished my breakfast! Can I go outside and play?"

"Sure, sweetie, but make sure you stay out of harms way." The thought was so ironic that she couldn't even think of laughing. She just continued on, not trying to make any sudden moves.

"Say, you wanna come with me? I want to see how the park is!" She said, pulling at Eighteen's sleeve once. Eighteen nodded, standing up.

With going outside, down a few streets and to once road, they could both hear the sound of children's laughter. There was a stone wall separating them from those who laughed, crumbled yet still holding strong. Eighteen had never come here, but felt torn when she thought of the children who once had.

They entered through a set of broken iron gate, the back round set in a grassy field. Places where there had been cement were now gravel, one tree half broken, half alive looming on a small hill escarpment. There was a tire swing attached to it, where Quara would soon go up and sit.

Eighteen put her back against the tree trunk, folding her arms together as she stare over the vast area. Quara kicked her legs back and froth as she looked at the ground, smiling. Eighteen looked to her, wondering.

"Is this what children do for fun?"

"What? You mean swing on the swing?"

"No I mean, look," She pointed down to where a group of boys where they played a game of 'war'. They had twigs and bowls for helmets, where two others had only fingers to imaginary shoot with. Quara nodded, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, that's what they do. It gets annoying too."

Eighteen gripped the collar of her shirt, her throat tightening. Is that what they thought of war? That it was a game?

Well, she should talk. She thought it was all a game too, in one point of her life. That you could control peoples lives with a whim of your hand. That she could judge who deserved life and who deserved death. With this thought she about broke in two; it was the strangest feeling, and that even gained more guilt onto her heart. She had slaughtered billions...

And she had thought of it only as a game.

"Hey, are you all right, Eighteen?" Quara asked, stopping. Eighteen looked to her and smiled half-heartedly, flicking back the strand of her hair behind her hair ear which had fallen over.

"Of course."

"Do you want me to tell them to cut it out?"

"That's-"

"No, it's about time I told them so," she stated proudly, rolling up the sleeves of her jacket and beginning to run down the hill. Eighteen thought of stopping her, but sighed, knowing it would be no use. So she just followed, just for a back up.

Quara went up to one of the main boys, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes, trying to be serious. The boy only grinned menacingly, snickering slightly.

"Hey, cut it out you guys."

"Oh, so the pipsqueak talks, huh?" The boy laughed, waving the other boys over. "What made you change your mind?"

"Just stop playing that stupid game! It's wrong even after the few weeks the war's over."

"Do you think we care, huh, little miss freak!" The others, along with him, began to laugh. Eighteen wondered why they would call her such a thing, and as she stood to the side she thought of something else. There was one boy who did not laugh with the others, but only hung his head low and out of the picture as the rest tortured this little girl with words.

"I'm not a freak! I-I'm a normal p-person too!" she shuttered, her eyes shrouded behind teary eyes.

"Sure you are, kid. So if you're not a freak, what makes us? Perfect?"

"No one's perfect," a small voice came from behind, the boys stopping with their laughter and turning to see who said that. Quara looked over their shoulders in surprise, wondering who would stick up for her like that. She raised an eyebrow when she saw it was the boy, sniffling her tears back up into her eyes.

"What did you say?" the main boy questioned threateningly. The other hesitated, but was about to respond with his fists clenched. But as he opened his mouth, Eighteen continued for him.

"No one is perfect," she stated, stepping up and putting her hands on her hips. They seemed to tread back in fear, but yet again did the leader grin and plant a foot forward.

"Hey you're that Android right? My dad told me about you. He said that you're weak now and Trunks could kill you on the spot if you hurt anyone!"

"Oh really?" she scoffed, stepping forward and pinching his ear, making him squirm in fear. "And what makes you think I won't go for just one more kill?"

The boy screamed, as well as the others who had laughed running off. Eighteen laughed, letting him go and trip backwards. He ran off as well, but the other boy back stepped back in fear. Quara stared at him, and he looked at her, seemingly coming out of his state of shock, and running off as well.

With a moment of silence with Eighteen laughing slightly before, Quara's eyes began to water again. She cried as she ran to her, crying half way to her stomach with her hands wrapped around her in a hug. Eighteen smiled in sympathy as she put a hand on her shoulder, the other on the top of her head.

"We sure showed them, didn't we?" she stated with a laughed. Quara nodded slightly as a responds. Eighteen pulled her away, kneeling on one knee to get at eye level. "So tell me, why did they call you that?"

Quara paused but soon shook her head. "Nuh-uh, 'cause you'll hate me too!"

"What makes you think I'll hate you?"

"Because," she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, swallowing, "they all think...I killed them."

Eighteen's eyes widened. "Who? Why do they think that?"

"Uh...I...I..." She burst into tears then, sobbing her heart out. Eighteen put a hand on her head, her eyes almost sad. Almost to the look, but deep down, she cried too.

'Poor girl,' she thought her herself. 'How it must be to feel alone, as if no one cares, and to even have your own peers say you're a freak. I mean, she's only a child...'

And throughout this event, all was being seen. Only by one, for no one else seemed to pay attention, but there didn't need to be any more to matter. For as he witnessed, something strangely changed within him, something he never thought could be possible.

Eighteen was more like a mother figure than a sister, but still gave the certain quality that gave her that title. She did nag or complain, didn't tell her about her faults in life. She just pattered her on the back on showed her the right way, interfering to help once and a while. Though Bulma had been of some help since her parents died, she never really had time for Quara, for she was always too busy to help others than to go out and play. Quara had never had a family, no friends really, either, and yet in the few days Eighteen had been around she had found it. She had found her friend, her big sister.

And maybe there was human within Eighteen.

Though Trunks didn't want to face it, she was human too. She was just like anyone, maybe with slight suppressed emotion and a mechanical interface, inside she was still human. Trunks could've sworn all his life he pledged revenge, to kill those who had made him suffer, but within that moment something suddenly changed. Maybe he had destroyed those who made him suffer, and brought light unto one who had been shrouded in darkness.

Eighteen stood up from where she kneeled, holding out her hand. "Hey, let's go home, huh? You'll be happier there, I'm sure of it."

Quara nodded with a half-hearted smile, taking her hand loosely and beginning to walk with her. Trunks just watched from the corner he stood behind, waiting until they were out of sight to follow.

***

When he arrived back, he noticed Quara was by herself sitting at the table, coloring. AS he moved to where the could see the area, he noticed Bulma was sitting there too, tinkering with something. But, as he stepped in, he saw no Eighteen.

"Where is she?" he questioned.

"Who? Eighteen? She went out," Bulma answered, not looking up.

Trunks's blood began to rise in overreaction, but soon calmed to speak. "Did she say where she was going?"

Bulma shook her head, surprised that he'd asked that. "No." Trunks quickly tightened his fists, sharply turning to walk out. Bulma stood up seeing this. "Trunks? Where are you going?"

But he did not respond, slamming the door behind him. Bulma was about to run after him, but saw he was already up in the air, gone in a blink of an eye. She sighed, Quara laughing as she continued.

"I really need to learn how to fly."

He fly with a rage, making a streak from where he had started through the sky. He had to find her and he had to find her now. Who knew what she would do when she wasn't being watched. Probably blow up another building or something. He didn't trust her. He'd never trust her so long as he lived. He'd thought he could pick up her power level or something, but knew he couldn't. But instead, in the silence of it all, he caught something else. He stopped midair to listen, and again he heard it.

It was the crushing of stone.

There was no one in this area, for it was so desolated that no one wanted to come here. As he swooped to the ground from a closer look, he failed to realized what this place exactly was. Though, no one knew except for her, for she remembered everything.

He fallowed the sound to a place where a wall had fallen over onto another building, making a sort of small alleyway which he could still walk through. He found Eighteen sitting there, picking up another chunk of cement by her side and crushing it in her bare hand, making it bleed even more. Tears rolled down her face, but her expression was blank; a cold, disturbing stillness of thought.

As if in total unconsciousness, Trunks spoke. "What's wrong?"

She did not answer at first, but only stared unblinkingly as she crushed another rock. But finally, she did.

"Do you know what this place is?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't."

"This is the place where I was suppose to die. Where you fought Seventeen and I for what was the be the last time. And for what I have done I should have died, and the sad part is I only realize it now." She looked to him, her eyes narrowing with being stung by heartfelt tears. "And then I meet a little girl who has no family, barely any friends. Everyone calls her a freak, and monster, only because her mother was infected with the heart virus when she had her, making her immune to such things. To think...They call a little girl the same thing they call me...only because she was born with it, as I was not." She buried her hands in her face, wiping as much of the water away before covering her eyes completely. "Why...Why does life have to be so cruel to those who don't deserve it...and are so merciful to those who weren't?"

Something gripped Trunks beyond that which he thought could possibly be. A certain feeling of empathy that he never thought could exist. But how could that Android feel, he asked to himself. There must've been some human inside her, even if it was just a smudge it was enough to make him feel for her. It was enough to get down on his knees and put an arm around her for sympathy, shutting his eyes and telling her it was okay when she cried her heart out.

And so he did...

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Hmm...

I'm at an 'if' stage....

If you guys really want me to continue it I'll be happy too, but just to let you know it may be some time, 'cause I got all this stuff I gotta do and such...

Well, besides that, please Read and Review and tell me how you liked it so far!